Compare the repair quote to what the car would sell for fixed. If the repair is more than half of that number, and the car already has high kilometres, repairing it rarely works out. That one test settles most of the calls Jay gets.
Start with the quote, not the emotion
Get the shop to write down the whole list, not just the part that failed. A $1,800 transmission service on an older SUV is one decision. The same $1,800 with tires, brakes and an exhaust behind it is a different one.
Then look at what's coming next
Past about 250,000 km, repairs stop being single events. Fix the water pump and the rad follows. Around Coquitlam the other quiet killer is rust — once a shop finds it in the rear frame or strut towers, no amount of mechanical work makes the vehicle worth keeping.
When repairing still makes sense
If the body is solid, the kilometres are reasonable, and the failure is one bounded item — an alternator, a starter, a set of brakes — fix it. A reliable car you already own is cheaper than any replacement.
When scrapping is the better move
Scrap it when the repair exceeds the value, when you have already bought the replacement, or when the vehicle can't pass a safety inspection without body work. You get cash, free towing, and the driveway back the same week.
If the failure is the engine itself, read Who Buys Cars With a Blown Engine?
More on fixing versus scrapping
For a longer write-up on the same decision, see Is My Car Worth Fixing Or Should I Scrap It?.
Talk to Jay about your vehicle
Free towing across Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, cash paid on pickup.
Call Jay 604-889-4470